In a computer system, instructions are carried out within a central processing unit in accordance with programmed instructions and the designed hardware of the unit itself. Due to the inherent operation of storage and other data processing circuitry within a computer system, the data being operated on is in a precarious position in the event of a power loss. In the event of a brownout or power system failure, prior art computer systems would lose certain data within the computer due to the fact that these circuits do not have any inherent storage capability once power is lost. Thus, if a failure occurs, certain important input and/or operating data could be lost in addition to consumption of valuable time during the running of a program in that at subsequent reinstitution of power, the data that has been operated upon will have been lost and subsequent operations may not be valid due to the loss of the data during the power failure.
Thus, it would be highly desirable that at the instant or shortly thereafter of the power failure, volatile data within the computer system be immediately stored in a non-volatile storage medium such as magnetic tape, magnetic disc or other storage devices which permanently store data even in the event of a power system failure.